Chronicles of the Unrealm - a PuF RPG story

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Cammy

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"Your memory?" asked Isis the amazon. "Are you suffering from amnesia or something?"

"I think so," said Freyja to Isis. "I can sense an abnornal disturbance in the flux patterns of this man's soul energies. In fact I sense a strange link between his energies and those of the old man whom the two Cathayan healers had resurrected."

"Wolfram is indeed suffering from a loss of memory," confirmed Chun-Li. "And it is to be feared that my healing abilities are of no avail against such a malady. Only the Third Eye of the Golden Dragon can cure that -- unless Wolfram recovers of his own accord first."

"Then let us first attend to what we can do something about right now," suggested Natalya. "Such as that weird bloke with that big silver sword and that face on one of his hands. Couldn't you do anything to save him?"

"I tried," replied Chun-Li. "It was no use. Somehow he just couldn't be returned to life. The large pool of blood -- if it was indeed his physical remains, of which I'm not sure -- just failed to respond to both my spells and my brother's. I can think of only two reasons: one, that he's in fact an undead, or at least partly an undead; two, that he in fact hadn't died, merely been brought elsewhere..."

"Ah, well, guess there's not much we can do about him, then," commented Natalya dryly. "But for now, has anyone found anything else?"

"I have indeed," answered a voice. It was Du-de-es-ta, who held up two crystals in front of everyone. The crystals shimmered erratically with all the colors of the rainbow, and somehow there was something repugnant, something putrid about the peculiar hue and shade of the colors. Looking more carefully, everyone could see several tiny and vaguely humanoid shapes darting about within the crystals.

"I have imprisoned the spirits of no less than a dozen of those vile demons within two of Wolfram's elemental cysts," explained Es-ta with triumphant satisfaction. "Now we can interrogate these spirits as to the exact purpose of their evil work and just who the mastermind is!"

Freyja's face broke into a wide grin. "Friend," she said to Es-ta, "I still don't know your name, but you truly are a man of genius!"

"Thank you," replied Es-ta with a smile. "But for now..."

Es-ta directed his gaze into the two crystals. "Speak now, hateful servants of evil!" questioned Es-ta in a stern voice. "Why did you go about doing what you did? What were your intentions? Who's your leader and what is his plot?"

"We won't tell you!" came a number of barely audible squeals from within the crystals, which shimmered in sync with the voices.

Es-ta walked to Chun-Li and took from her the Right Eye of the Golden Dragon, holding it near the crystals while still glaring sternly at the humanoid figures in them. "The Right Eye of the Golden Dragon has actually served as a purgatory for the spirits of countless evil beings," he said. "For millennia they remain locked within its crystalline depths, there to endure the endless torture of purification by mystic fire either throughout eternity or until they are purged of all evil. Shall you join them or shall you tell me what I desire to know? Choose, now!"

"We'll tell you!" replied the squealing voices, now filled with horror. "We'll tell you! Just don't lock us within the Eye, please!"
 

Omega-Seven

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The demons' souls, each a shrunken withered wisp in stark contrast to their hulking massive bodies, quivered with fear.

"Our master, the dread Arch Lich Lesstarot Guildenstren, seeks the Eyes of the Dragon. He has gained eternal life and the knowledge of the gods but at a price; The corpse body he inhabits can no longer heal of it's own accord. No magics work to heal him. Such is the curse of his undying life. Not so of Count Dracula Vlad Tepes. Death is both ally and friend of the Arch Lich, but at the cost that Life is his scourge.

Long ago, an adventurer came seeking items of power in our lord's possession. While no match for the power of a Lich, he did manage to pass a torch before the our Lord's eyes... and destroy them.

With the eyes of the dragon, he would not only regain his full vision, but he would become all powerful, holding domain over both life and death!"

Isis looked confused, "You said full vision. Is that to mean that he can see without his eyes? He seemed to see our priestess quite well..."

"As a Warlock of incredible experience, he has the ability to sense, or in a fashion see, the life energies which flow through all things and in nature...the western mages call this force 'mana', while the eastern mages call it 'qi'."

Freyja addressed the demon, "And our friend Alucard, where is he now? What was your purpose in all this?"

"The Lich can sense great power in you adventurers...so resurrected Lord Dracula as an ally, but at a price. Lord Dracula desires the return of his son Alucard, who slew him many centuries ago. We were loaned so Dracula so that we could prevent you from saving him."

You have said far too much underling

"No! The MASTER!"

The elemental cysts begin to shake violently, resonating at a piercing frequency, causing the heros to cover their ears in pain. As the sound peaks and becomes unbearable, the cysts shatter, flinging the souls of the demons into the air... where they are consequently devoured by a black vortex. All that remains is some fine red powder, and a very chill feeling in the air.

[note, all players are temporarily deafened for 6 hours, unless they receive some sort of magical cure, eg: potions, spell, prayers, etc.]
 

Cammy

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The six adventurers -- Wolfram, Chun-Li, Du-de-es-ta, Natalya, Isis, Freyja -- found themselves plunged into a strange silence. Then they each looked at one another and, seeing a trace of blood coming out of everyone else's ears, instinctively felt for their own and quickly realized what had happened. Es-ta motioned to everyone to keep still while he held the Right Eye of the Golden Dragon high in the air. A bright flash came from the Eye and the silence was again replaced with the ambient sounds of the night...

"That's much better," said Freyja. "Certainly is," joined Isis.

"We might actually have died from that," said Es-ta, "if not for the constantly operative benedictions of the Eye. And now that a second mass-healing has been done using this Eye, it can only do a third and final one before dawn; only then will it be again fully recharged by the qi of the Universe."

"There are just certain things the demons said that defeat my understanding," said Wolfram. "If the Lich-Lord was after both Eyes, why did his minions smash the Left Eye, as you said? Or don't tell me the Lich-Lord and Dracula are not the only masterminds and there are yet other evil beings like him around with other goals of their own, presumably different from his?"

"Also," joined Chun-Li, "the Eyes are supposed to be good in their essential nature. It is inconceivable that an evil being could derive any benefit from them at all -- unless that being renounced his evil ways first, that is..."

Freyja smiled. "I have in fact found out everything," she said. "Earlier on I have in fact searched the minds of the demons with my telepathic powers."

"Really? Then what's the story?" asked Natalya.

"Shhh..." cautioned Freyja. "It is not advisable that I tell you all now. Remember, the Lich-Lord's ears are all around; if he learns what we know, he may attack again or change his plans." Somewhere in the distance, as soon as Freyja finished, the party could hear a scream of anger and frustration.

"Well, whatever the story is," said Chun-Li, "I can only hope nothing bad happens to Alucard..."

Just then the old mage groaned and began to stir. "Oh, I think the elderly one is going to awaken soon," observed Es-ta.

Then while everyone was turning to the mage, a small figure approached. It was Moy. And when he saw the condition of the entire village, he was horrified.

"Doy! Doy!" screamed Moy, running into the ruined village. "Where are you? Are you all right? Answer me!"

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice. "Ah, ha!" said Isis in delight upon seeing Moy's diminutive form. "So there you are!"
 

Wolf Blackstar

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note: trying to breathe some more life into this...(& a little humour)....

"I've been looking for you for a long, long, time." Isis slings her bow over her shoulder and begins to approach Moy.

"Eh? Do I even know you? And what happened to Doy? Is he alright?"

"Don't worry, Freyja and I pulled him out of danger before the demons' first onslaught. He is safe. You, on the other hand..." Isis strides sultrily forward, her bow slung, but a deadly short sword carried in a reverse slashing grip occupies her gloved hands.

Moy takes a step back.

"You know, it's amazing how some people forget what could be considered landmark events in their lives so easily, in such short periods of time." She advances slowly but surely, the blade now seemingly dancing in her arms, and her long, well-toned legs, clad in skin-tight black leather thigh-length boots, gliding gracefully over the rough terrain without making a sound.

Moy begins to retreat. "What are you talking about?"

"It's incredible that you've completely forgotten who I am." Isis is nearly upon Moy now.

Wolfram watches with a silent curiosity, a smile on his face.

Suddenly Moy can take no more. He turns to run and flee, but the amazon's free arm lashes out with the speed and precision of a viper, grabbing him roughly by the neck. The woman lifts him easily off the ground, and pins him against the nearest tree.

Then the blade slams into the tree halfway through to its hilt, so close to Moy's face that he can feel the disturbance of air around the razor sharp metal.

Isis looks directly into his eyes with a gaze that could knock a full-grown orc off its feet and send it spinning end for end.

"Two years ago, you were fighting in a dungeon in the deserts near the city of S'mon Traska. Your companion, a young apprentice wizard, turned craven and abandoned you in a battle against a Sand Dragon Lord and his minions. I was in the same area, and heard your pleas for help. You immediately recognized my bow and knew that I had slain draconian creatures before, and promised me reward if I could slay the Dragon Lord. I immediately accepted and unleashed my arrows.

With all of his minions slain, The Dragon Lord attempted to flee by casting a Confusion spell on us, but I used my Amulet of True Sight to shoot the horn-like growth that crowned its forehead. This temporarily disabled the creature's magic, and I leapt upon it and slew it with this very sword.

When the Dragon Lord died, it exploded in a shock wave of malicious energy that knocked me unconscious. When I recovered, you were nowhere to be seen."

Moy gasps in recognition; Isis slowly lets him down to the ground, but does not soften her facial expression.

"Oh dear, the Dragon Lord thing. I was afraid it would come to this..."

"I have been searching for you ever since. I know of you special abilities, and I need the use of them in order to defeat this evil!"

There is a sudden thump on the ground; both Isis and Moy stop for a second to look and see that Wolfram has fallen to the ground where he is rolling on the floor laughing.
 

Cammy

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Puzzled by Wolfram's behavior, Isis turned to look at the other members of the party. Du-de-es-ta was doubled over in laughter as well. Freyja was grinning and chuckling. Natalya was grimacing away as if wincing at something unbearable, and shaking her head with a hand covering her eyes. Chun-Li was staring at her (Isis) with an expression of shock, hands covering her mouth. Feeling apprehensive, the amazon turned her gaze in the direction of their gaze... and saw Doy standing nearby, ugly face grimacing away disgustingly with something hanging from his fingers... her jock strap...
 

trinity

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Jan 3, 2000
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Wow a female jock strap! (clearly, dark magic is about)

Considering that both she (Isis) and Freyja go commando, it could only mean that Chun-Li was now panty-less! Damn, that Doy must have some mad skills to get his hands up her(Chun-Li's) skirt so fast and deftly remove the panties without removing the outer garments. Perhaps this one should be permitted to join the party after all.
Isis and old Moy both started to giggle too.
Isis called out "Hey Doy, if we ever meet a female DemonLord, we can all count on you to distract it while Wolfram delivers a killing blow, eh?"
The whole party laughed heartily (except for poor Chun-Li) and Wolfram produced from his pack a tankard of ale.
It had been a long day indeed, and it was time to rest.
 

Cammy

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(Interesting things happen when different people on the Web come together to co-author an RPG and make use of each other's characters, don't they?

Anyway, to continue the story...)

"What? My jock-straps??" cried Chun-Li in shock. "But -- but I don't wear jock-straps... I wear silk undergarments..." (We all want to preserve some dignity for our characters, don't we, Trinity? :D)

Natalya, Freyja and Isis quickly felt their bottoms. For all their lightning reflexes, experience has taught them there could always be another who would be better than oneself and one could simply never know.

"Relax, you ladies," said Doy. "These don't belong to none of you."

"Then whose are they?" asked Moy.

"I stole them from a female demon a couple years back," replied Doy, face twisted into a disgusting grin. "She meant to attack me but I snatched her thingy away and she flew off angrily... Hee, hee..."

"And what he did just now (chuckle) was use that to go through the motion of pretending to take off your jock strap," said Wolfram to Isis. "It was so funny I just couldn't help laughing..." Du-de-es-ta started to giggle too.

"Well," said Isis, turning to Doy and holding him by the chin, "you'd be well-advised not to try it in real life -- or you'll be very sorry indeed..." Doy just continued to grin as Isis pushed him away, and everyone laughed (except Chun-Li who was too decent a girl).

Then there was a voice. It was the old mage, who had just awakened. "oh, what happened?..." he groaned.
 

Wolf Blackstar

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The old mage struggles to get up, but can barely stand. He looks around at the destruction around him, and nearly feints....again...

"Oh dear..... not again...."

"Take it easy; we weren't sure the resurrection spell was going to work."

The old man blinks his eyes; gradually, clear sight returns.

Freyja, Chun-Li, and Moy help the old man to his feet.

Meanwhile, Wolfram is pacing back and forth near the party's campfire. "Clearly, whis is the work of some great and powerful evil overlord. But what their immediate goal here remains unknown. If they wanted both Eyes of the Dragon, why destroy one of them? and is rampant destrucion their only goal?"

Isis, seated next to the fire, prepares acid and fire arrowheads as she makes ready to attach them to their wooden flights. "Whatever it is, it's incredibly powerful and will stop at nothing."

Meanwhile, the old mage is speaking to Moy.
"...and it said, 'a great evil comes forth today from the sea', and shortly thereafter, demons came forth from the depths of the forest...."

"Then this bears investigation." Moy suddenly notices that the fire is burning slightly brighter. The more he looks at it, the brighter it seems, and the flames themselves suddenly seem to rise higher and higher. "Do you see that?" he asks the mage. "Indeed" he replies. "It is in the same manner that the first vision manifested itself in my presence.

Moy looks at Wolfram and Isis, for they are sitting immediately next to the fire, yet neither of them act as if they notice. Suddenly the flames leap competely clear of the fire ring and swhirl themselves around Moy and the mage, wrapping them in fiery curtains which seem to flash and flicker in color.

Wolfram is still pondering his actions when suddenly a loud voice calls out. "Behold! The future reveals itself!" Wolfram and Isis stare at Moy and the mage, who sit facing each other, their arms held over their heads, meeting palm-to-palm. Their eyes both appear white and clouded, sightless. Then they open their mouths, and their voices speak as one.

"The Lich Lord commands the demonic army and legions of undead which you have encountered. But he is not the source of evil which has entered the mortal realms today."

All eyes are on the two as they continue.

"The Lich Lord's superior, Bha'al Sa'oudth, Master of Fear, has determined to tear the very fabric that separates us from the demonic planes. By doing so, evil will have unfettered and unlimited access to run rampant among the mortal realms. In order to do so, he requires the Right Eye of the Dragon. For without the Left Eye to keep the balance, the Master of Fear can use the energy and powers manifested by the Right Eye's aggressive nature, in addition to the scores of demons imprisoned within, to build incredible power and force - force sufficient to shatter the celestial bindings that divide the Unrealm from the dimensions of hell and death."

For a brief moment, there is a deafening silence.

"Wolfram - your past is obscured to you by an unknown force; it is not for us to disclose it, but know this: you will continue to regain memory, but the full knowledge of who you really are will only be fully unlocked by the death of Bha'al Sa'oudth. Know also, that you cannot defeat Bha'al Sa'oudth without the Rune Sword of Kheiran - a weapon you once wielded in times past."

"In order to find the sword, you must first..." the words are suddenly cut off as a ghout of flame plunges from the skies and scorches both men, killing them both and charring them to ashes.


Shocked, the adventurers scramble into action. Isis throws her quivers over her shoulder and nocks an acid arrow.

Freyja casts a light spell which increases the illumination as all eyes turn to the skies....

"A young red dragon!" Smaller then a full-grown dragon, the beast is incredibly fast and every bit as deadly.

The dragon unleashes another burst of flame, directed at Wolfram, who leaps to the side, barely avoiding the blast. The axe he held in his hands, however, is turned to a burning stick, the head haviing melted off into a shapeless lump of steel. Cursing, he picks up his shield and draws his broadsword.

The dragon loops back for another pass. This time, the adventurers are ready and Isis looses an acid arrow. At the same time, a bright blue fireball streaks up from the ground as Chun-Li attacks. The dragon jerks in mid-flight, showing pain, but no intention of ceasing its attack. This time, instead of a long burst, the dragon belches forth a large globe of fire which lands on the ground and upon impact, splits into a dozen smaller ones which fly in all directions. Fortunately, the impact from the fireballs are not as intense or concentrated as the first attack, and Wolfram's armor and shield manage to absorb some of the damage. Most of the lighter-armored adventures manage to dodge the flaming projectiles. As the dragon passes overhead, Isis looses another acid arrow, and the draconian winces in pain, but does not fall.

"Wolfram! stay still for a moment, I will cast Fire Protection on your shield!" shouts Freyja. A second later, a bright red orb issues forth from her fingertips. It strikes Wolfram's shield and gives it a bright crimson glow. As the dragon passes again, Wolfram stands directly in its line of attack. The dragon unleashes an incredibly hot sheet of flame, but Wolfram holds the shield close in about himself and is protected by the sorceress's enchantment.

While the dragon concentrates its attack on Wolfram, Chun-Li strikes the creature with two successive fireballs, and Isis and Natalya pepper the dragon's thick hide with acid arrows and throwing daggers. The dragon quickly breaks off its attack.

"Damn! If only I could get that bastard within a sword's stroke!"

The dragon circles around again.

"We don't have much time before the enchantment wears off, and I can only cast it once a day!" shouts Freyja.

"I'm down to four fireballs left." says Chun-Li.

"My acid arrows are doing damage, but not nearly enough!" Isis announces in frustration.

"We must come up with a plan, or we won't survive this." says Du-de-es-ta.

Wolfram suddenly speaks again. "Isis, can you tie a bundle of acid arrows together and fire them as one?" "Yes, but it would be too heavy to fly accurately." Isis replies. Freyja speaks up. "I can use my powers of telekinesis to guide Isis' arrow, but it will be extremely difficult against such a fast-flying target." "Chun-Li!" says Wolfram, "when I give the signal, I want you to launch you remaining fireballs all in rapid succession - the knockback force should slow the dragon down for a moment." Wolfram turns to Isis and Freyja. "Immediately after she casts the fireballs, I want to to fire your arrows, and Freyja - try to guide the arrow cluster into one of the dragon's wings. If we can bring it to the ground, that'll put an end to its advantage, and I can engage it in close combat. While I am fighting the creature, I want Natalya to try to backstab it a few times. That should make it easier for us to finish it off. Are we ready?"

The adventurers glance from one to another, then steel themselves for the dragon's onslaught. "Good!" says Wolfram. "On my signal....."

The dragon soars over the trees, swooping downward and slowing slightly as it approaches the small clearing. It lines up on Wolfram and drops down to unleash its fire.

"Steady......."

The dragon slows to half its speed and spews another concentrated flaming attack on Wolfram, who holds the shield forward, then shouts....

"NOW! FIRE!!!.
 

Cammy

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(How do you like it -- Moy and the mage have hardly left a significant mark on the story and already they are two piles of ash... :( And Wolf -- phew, you just wouldn't let the poor party have some respite from all the fighting action, would you? :)

Anyway, here I go...)

As the whole gang poised to deliver an all-out attack on the dragon, suddenly music was heard -- music so soothing all thoughts of fighting left the minds of the adventurers upon hearing it. The music made Wolfram think again of the beautiful meadows and chirping birds in his earlier vision...

The music actually came from Du-de-es-ta, who was playing a long bamboo flute. The gentle melody of his flute had a surprising effect on the dragon; it stopped attacking the party and became tame and docile, coming very close to Es-ta and rubbing itself against him with affection while he stopped playing his flute and stroked it like a pet.

"I've learned many things in my travels," said Es-ta to the adventurers with a smile, "such as the temperaments of dragons and how one could bend them to one's will. We now have a big ally -- a dragon mount!"

Everyone stared at Es-ta and the dragon in disbelief. "You... You're just amazing!" exclaimed Isis.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Isis," said Natalya, smiling at Es-ta.

"Thanks, ladies," smiled Es-ta.

Doy wasn't smiling -- quite the opposite. "The bastard dragon... He killed Moy! He killed Moy!"

Chun-Li walked quickly to Doy and consoled him. "There, there, don't be sad, friend, we can resurrect your loved one for you. We promise!"

"Really?" cried Doy in excitement.

------------------------------------------------------------

It was dawn. Everyone was sitting or lying down to rest, being exhausted from the near-continuous encounters -- especially Chun-Li and Es-ta, who had been using their magic to resurrect Moy and the mage. Moy was restored and soundly asleep with Doy sitting next to him, shedding tears of relief and gratitude. Nearby, the old mage's body was also restored -- but unconscious and only barely alive.

"All these extremely demanding spells have drained me of every last bit of my mana," sighed a very tired Chun-Li. "It's no joke resurrecting someone whose physical form had been completely destroyed, especially if he had died a second time after being brought back from death shortly before..."

"I can't agree more," groaned Es-ta. "Thank the gods it is now dawn. Daylight is the ultimate bane of absolutely all creatures from the demonic plane, so we can be perfectly sure we'll have no more of those hell-spawn to deal with until dusk -- by which time we'll again be fully recharged and rested."

"And thank the gods for our newly gained ally, too!" remarked Wolfram, indicating the red dragon resting nearby. "With an ally like this, fighting those hell-spawn ought to be a lot easier!"

"Wait! What about the town?" asked Isis.

"The town is safe for now," answered Freyja, also exhausted from the spells she had been casting. "Had the town been assailed by the vile demons, I would have immediately sensed the resulting disturbances in the Aether. But I sensed nothing. Of course, that doesn't mean we shouldn't go to the city by today to protect the civilians there."

"And there's a lot more to do, besides," sighed Wolfram. "Such as restoring the Left Eye and hopefully combining the two Eyes into one... And finding that... That sword... What's it called again?..."

------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the celestial dimension of the gods, two small figures were standing before Kuan-Yin.

"Gold Boy and Jade girl!" asked Kuan-Yin. "Have you delivered the message to the mortals who had been with my two servants?"

"We..."

"Well?" pursued the goddess.

"We took two of the mortals in the party," replied Gold Boy, "a dwarf and an old man, and conferred the message through them... But before we could finish the message, a stray dragon came and slew the two..."

The goddess gave an all-knowing smile...
 

Cammy

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Just read the story first and then contribute something accordingly, CHRYSt. You could always play a lustful half-orc barbarian who wears just a g-string and who's somehow related to the hero in the story. Or whatever. :D
 

Wolf Blackstar

That other Wing Commander guy
Dec 13, 1999
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Many miles elsewhere, in the city of S'mon Traska, situated just beyond the Deserts of Doom and Despair, a young knight sat in a tavern nestled deeep in the sprawling slum regions. At the same table sat his companion, an elf. It was dark outside, the sun having just set beyond the horizon. As the last reaches of the light slowly disappeared, the criminal underworld of of the city slowly came to life, like a dragon awakened from a deep slumber.

The elf was the first to speak.

"Must you wear that armor? Surely you realize that the thieving vermin in this city'll be drawn to your back like flies to a rotting carcass." The knight looked at the elf, and replied. "This is exactly my purpose. There is no other way to find what we are looking for."

"Always doing everything the hard way." "I understand," said the knight, that your experience as a thief has made other options available to us. However, In addition to finding our source of information, I wish to rid the alleys of a good portion of the murderers, and make the streets safer for the general populace in the process."

"Always the honourable cavalier, driven by your neverending aspirations of such noble concepts as kindness and generosity!" The elf took a deep swig of his ale, then continued. "I tell you, I both admire and despise you. Speaking in terms of practicality, you are one of the most foolish men i have ever met, and yet in being as such, you also posess more honour and integrity than any other that I have known to walk the realms."

"Remember, Qu'ean Quicksilver, that I am a Paladin, and as such am compelled by forces that are not always immediately understood, not even by myself. I assure you, I do not go about my business because I choose to; I do so because I must. I am sworn ever to hunt down and destroy evil, wherever it may strike; in the name of righteousness and honour, I shall defend the innocents from its perilous grasp."

Qu'ean Quicksilver's wary eyes darted from one corner of the tavern to the next. Already, a large portion of the establishment's patrons had left. Those that remained huddled in groups, nestled in the more poorly-lit areas of the tavern, black cloaks pulled closely about their faces, hiding themselves from the eyes of unwanted attention. The barkeep had brought down the thick iron doors that hung hinged over the windows and bolted them fast.

"It appears," the elf spoke again, that you shan't wait much longer for you to do what you must."

Though they had only been in town for two days, the paladin and the elven thief-mage had been scouting out the city streets, and the knight had taken it upon himself to discover the truth behind a series of grisly murders that struck anyone without warning. At first glance, it had appeared to be the work of the deadly bads of thieves and assassins which ruled the streets of the slums by night, but then the terror had begun to prey upon them as well. The result was that all guilds of thieves and assassins had armed themselves to the hilt, and in some areas, outright war was being waged in the streets in the midnight hours of S'mon Traska.

"It can only be," said the knight, "that whoever accomplishes this is orchestrating a rise to power. Clearly, we face more than assassins. Dark magic, or powerful evil, is behind this."

"Yes." The elf responded quickly. "But is this something that we shall be able to handle by ourselves?" The knight looked the elf squarely in the eye. "That is not for me to know now. It is known only that this is my quest, and my destiny."

The elf drained the last of the ale from his mug. "Well then," he said. "It appears that once again, we throw ourselves into the fire without hesitation."

Screams rang out in the night; the light of the moon seemed to purposefully dim itself to an absolute minimum of light in that very moment.

The elf set his mug down. Swiftly and silently, he produced a gemmed dagger from beneath his cloak. The paladin drew his longsword from its scabbard. Steel touched against steel lightly in the dark; followed by the elf's words. "Death or Glory." He whispered silently. The knight echoed the words of his comrade. "Death or Glory!"

They both rose to leave. The sounds of death and battle grew louder; but instead of recoiling, the elf and the human seemed to gather strength considerably. The sudden appearance of the two, the elf with his beautiful dark green robe, clearly magical, and the taller human, clad in full plate armor crafted of the finest elven steel, striding calmly to the door without the slightest hint of trepidation, drew the scrutiny of all eyes in the tavern like moths inveigled by the dancing flames of candlelight. Some watched in sheer incredulity, others in fear. Finally the barkeep gathered his wits, enough to speak.

"Ye cannot be goin' forth at this time of evening! Won't be lastin' so much as one minute, I'd bet money on it! Crazier'n a fevered hound, ye be!"

The elf threw the folds of his cloak to the side and returned his dagger to his belt, where many more of the weapons could clearly be seen. In his other arm, appearing so swiftly that all in the room qould have sworn it was by magic, a crossbow sat wickedly, it's black darts thirsting for the blood of any who dared cross the elf's path. The paladin's sword seemed to dance in his hands as he turned to reply.

"Be glad, old man, that we are not the type to bring you up on such a bet."

The elf smiled, the paladin spinning the sword once more in his hand for effect, and then they turned and stepped out into the night.
 

Cammy

Nymphomaniac
Nov 24, 1999
592
0
0
Singapore
Visit site
Outside the tavern, the paladin and the elf-thief saw to their shock that there were a number of animated corpses lumbering around the streets -- seven or eight of them, their flesh decayed and infested with vermin, with bits falling off every now and then. Their foul stench made the elf want to vomit, and he noticed a large, deep pit in the ground some distance away. He could remember that there wasn't a pit there several hours before. Could the zombies have dug their way out from there?

Even as these thoughts went through Qu'ean Quicksilver's mind, the animated corpses were making for a number of peasant girls, all screaming loudly with horror and standing behind a handsome, bearded man with silver, shoulder-length hair who was evidently trying to protect them. Nearby a girl's body lay on the ground, presumably being mauled by the abominations earlier.

"Back off, vile creatures of the night!" shouted the man as he brandished what could only be a magic wand, sending bright, tiny darts of mystic energy flying towards the zombies, which slowed them somewhat with their impact, but did not stop them from coming closer...

The paladin rushed into the fray. "Begone, ye abominations!" he shouted at the zombies as if giving an order, pointing a stern finger at them. "The Force of Light commands!" Even as he spoke, the numerous runes that covered his armor glowed brighter and brighter, until the entire street was flooded with light; and the zombies crumbled into heaps of decomposing matter as the light shone upon them, and further disintegrated into smouldering dust, which crept along the ground back to the hole in the ground before it closed up again... The bearded man stared at the whole episode in amazement...

"The forces of darkness fell more easily than I thought they would," commented the paladin with satisfaction before turning back to the others. "Are any of you hurt?"

"Oh, kind sir, thank you so much! Thank you for saving us!" cried the peasant girls in gratitude.

"No need to thank me, ladies," answered the paladin. "Just doing what I'm supposed to do. Do any of you know the injured lady?"

"I know her," said one of the women. "She lives with her husband and children in a house next to mine."

"I can sense she is still alive, and is not too badly hurt," said the man with a wand. "I'll tend to her. You may all hasten to your homes now -- and tell her family they'll see her tomorrow. Remember, stay indoors -- there is much danger in the streets at night!"

"We thank thee kindly, sirs," said the women, who quickly left.

Qu'ean Quicksilver looked with fascination at the handsome, bearded man with youthful eyes and long silver hair. Evidently in his early twenties, he was short but muscular, and wore nothing at all but a leather jock-strap and a pair of fur-boots.

"Who are you, friend?" he asked. "But for your short stature and your magic wand, one would have thought you're one of the barbarian warriors of the Northern Ice!"

The man laughed. "The name's Rufus," he replied, waving his wand playfully so that bright multicolored sparkles filled the air. "I'm just an aspiring mage who enjoys entertaining people with my spells. My mentor recently gave me a few days' break from all the wearisome magical studies, so I thought I'd come out for a ride. Didn't expect to run into all this, though."

"You're just a mage? How could a mage be so strongly built? But anyway, I'm Qu'ean Quicksilver. Good to know you, Rufus."

"Good to know you, friend," joined the paladin with a smile. "But for now, shall we get back inside the tavern and bring the poor lady along, so we may heal her?"

But before they could say or do anything, the trio heard a flapping sound such as might be made by great leathery wings. Looking upwards, they were stricken dumb by the sight of a huge red dragon... And the elf noticed there were people riding on the dragon's back...


[Edited by Cammy on November 17th, 2000 at 09:24 AM]
 

The_Dudester

Surfing the edge of underconfidence.
Feb 21, 2000
758
0
0
44
York/Norwich England
www-users.york.ac.uk
<note: start of a new character / race... Cammy - I'm still entrusting you with Du-de-es-ta... while I take Tzchee-inki>


It is almost time for the ceremony to begin. The slave-maniples are straining to position the
bronze reflecting dish at the optimum angle,
the scry-princes have almost finished constructing their runic-mazes, and Tzchee-inki, the En-keeper, can feel the mana potential growing, like an itch in the small of his back.
Resisting the urge to scratch, to disrupt the intricate web of forces channelled through myriad
gossamer threads, to prematurely begin the cascade that leads to true-seeing, she moves lightly
along the single path that brings enlightenment.
Carefully, she avoids the few silk cords barring her progess, making sure all six of her legs pass
cleanly over without the slightest nudge.
Eventually, after what sheer concentration makes seem a thousand suns, she arrives at the nexus, the point where
all tangles meet, where knots form in the actuality of things. Even without the aid of the sun-power, the
sheer topolomancy of the location brings her fresh perspectives - all tinged with a hint of wrongness, as if a tiny snarl had formed somewhere in the Universe-web.
She signals her readiness, and the slave-maniples give a final nudge to their reflector, bringing it exactly into place.
The sun-power streams through the silk-labyrinth, visibly brightening individual strands, adding energy, dynamism, to the static twisting of the rune-maze. As always at this point, Tzchee-inki feels a slow drifting sensation, as if she were dangling high in the air from her spinnerets, and there is the pleasant-unpleasant shifting of space and perception all around/inside her.
As she recovers from the sensation of it all, Tzchee-inki returns to the snarl, picks at it with her mental training...
...all six of her eyes widen with the discovery of what lies within.
 

The_Dudester

Surfing the edge of underconfidence.
Feb 21, 2000
758
0
0
44
York/Norwich England
www-users.york.ac.uk
<Hmm...lets keep this momentum up with another post to bring the Ash-en up to date (after this, no more posts from me until someone else does, promise...)>

Several days later, several days longer than Tzchee-inki would have liked, Ash-en made a landing on Urnamu soil for the first time.
The journey had been fast, the true path to sail being obvious to an En-keeper accustomed to interpreting the warp and weft of
destiny and determination, the main delay had been in the construction of a suitable vessel. Ash-en had never crossed the wide water to
far distant lands - there had never been any need to until now - and so the art of shipbuilding was a relatively new concept. Luckily, the
hulks of several Urnamu ships were kept just off-shore for study purposes, and the principles encoded in them proved simple to reproduce.
Nevertheless, the journey was not as smooth as Tzchee-inki would have hoped, the wide water proving disturbingly mobile beneath them.
Even the Hunting-spinners were glad when they finally touched land and disembarked.

The beach ahead of them was clear and free of obvious life into the visible distance (for this reason they had chosen this site - knowing the
feelings of the stupid Urnamu towards their kind), and so Tzchee-inki and her entourage made only the most cursory efforts at stealth as they approached
the dunes ahead.

Lucky for the Urnamu who suddenly lept out at them that this was so, for he was too far from the Hunting-spinners to be instantly eviscerated by their
sharp instruments. By the time Tzchee-inki's bodyguard had surrounded the human, who was dressed all in black flowing fabric, the En-keeper had decided that
curiousity could be allowed more importance in this case.
She gestured to the True-speaker (the only member of this caste her city possessed) to interpret the noises of the Urnamu. With the hesitation of one's
first attempt at a difficult task, the True-speaker moved to obey.
The conversation they had was thus:
Tzchee-inki asked, "Urnamu, why are you not afraid of my people, or incited to furious violence by our prescence?" For it was clear that the man was not trembling
in the way of his kind, neither had he tried to strike any of the Hunter-spinners encircling him.
The Urnamu replied, "Madam, why should I strike at your group, when I know them to be on a mission of good? Being somewhat of an outcast from my own kind, I know
not to choose actions purely on predjudice and tall tales spun by sailors."

"You make me more curious with your speech, Urnamu. Why should you be persecuted by your own kind? While they are a stupid race on the whole, we have never noticed such
divisions amongst them..."

"With all due respect madam, a common fear of the unknown will unite my species like nothing else will. As for why they reject my kind, I am what they call a necromancer,
a raiser of the dead. Amongst my people this is seen as a great evil, despite the fact that their religion states that once dead, the body is just a liveless husk."

"That is a most strange belief, and an even stranger reaction from it, Urnamu. Do you seek us out to flee from your own kind then? I doubt that we would be considered
good company to most Urnamu...but you are welcome to act as our guide in this land."

"Again, I must respectfully correct you, madam. I have no real need for protection from my people. However, I have divined that we have a common purpose in battling the
wrongness in the world... and so I seek to join forces with you. Just hours ago a force of minor zombies I had sent to investigate a nearby city were destroyed, probably
by some doltish paladin and his armour of the 'One True God'. While I still have more useful forces elsewhere, this and other recent losses have compelled me to seek help."

At this the Urnamu Dead-raiser fell to one knee and lowered his head. Apparently this was intended as some kind of salute, so Tzchee-inki returned the gesture with the dance
of five namings.
Such was the first strange alliance between the Ash-en and the Outcast of the Urnamu made.
 

trinity

Noli me tangere
Jan 3, 2000
383
0
0
Southern California
Watching the dragon soar overhead, Isis frowned and turned to Freyja.

"Are you sure we did the right thing leaving their party? They were very powerful, even the wench Chun Li had her strengths, perpahps we should have stayed with them on our journey? Are we not seeking the same thing?"

"Isis, even with the aide of the dragon, it will take them at least a day to reach S'mon Traska. We, however, will take a much shorter route."

With that, she procured a set of rune stones from her belt and set them on the ground. Whispering soft strange words, she touched each stone three times.
A web of light appeared beween the stones, and the lines grew and merged to become what appeared to be a shallow door of light that glowed weirdly.
Gathering her staff and pack, she stepped closer and beckoned to Isis.

"Come, we have much to do..."
 

The Dopefish

Eat your veggies!
Apr 17, 2000
8,275
30
48
40
Springfield, MA, USA
In the murkiest pond of the land a creature, long stewing in the spam-thick waters, arises from his domicile in search of something to do. His instincts tell him to go downhill since it would be an easier trip. Rolling sideways over rocks and twigs, the fish-like creature continues his descent until rolling onto a dirt road. Hoping to find a way towards a city, the fish (whom I will now refer to as the Dopefish since it is kind of dumb) looks for help.
 

Wolf Blackstar

That other Wing Commander guy
Dec 13, 1999
2,309
0
0
Tau Ceti V
www.angelfire.com
In the streets of the S'mon Traska's slums, a filthy young bandit was on the prowl for pockets to pick. The moon was up over the cityscape, but it was still in waxing gibbous state, which still provided ample cover in the shadows of the dank alleys.

Ahead, his destination came into view, one of the numerous taverns that dotted the area. Establishments such as this were a favorite hunting ground of the assassins and thieves, for often foolish travelers and adventurers would take up shelter there, thinking themselves safe for the evening. Those that were caught in the streets after dark quickly became the primary source of income for the thieving rogues.

Dagger in hand, he crouched low in the darkness, performing a visual assessment of the street. One sight in particular caught his eye; a man wearing full plated armor, kneeling in the street with his elf companion, who was dressed in the garb of a thief, but also sported a cloak suggesting magical properties as well. Surely these were seekers of fame and fortune from miles abroad, and no doubt they carried substantial wealth. The human's armor seemed to be without a single scratch, and reflected light incredulously, as if it was giving off a luminescence of their own. There seemed to be a numberof runes carved upon it as well. Perhaps this man was a knight of some kind. The brigand's eyes widened at the sight, and he prepared for a stealthy advance into the shadows.

He never got the chance.

Small, bright sparks seemed to phase themselves into existence from nowhere, then flowing with more intensity between the walls of the alley. The street urchin fell backward suddenly as the energy compsed itself into an orb of blinding light which expanded rapidly until it was the size of a small door.

The thief's mouth droped open in shock when seemingly out of the light itself, two women stepped into the street where there had been nothing before, smiling as if such an act did not inconvenience them in the least. Both of them were tall, slender and beautiful; one clad in dark leather armor and the other wearing a mage's robe over a gown that could only be elven mithril mail, and both armed. He backed away slowly, dagger at the ready, but in shaking arms, as the ethereal doorway closed behind them. The cloaked woman stares at him for a moment, then smiles again, and with a quick wave of her hand, everything seems to fade into darkness.

Isis watched as the bandit's unconscious body dropped to the floor.

"He will awaken tomorrow morning, and remember nothing" said Freyja. "Come, let us be off, we have much to accomplish and scant time to do so." Isis complied, and the two disappeared slowly into the shadows.


In front of the tavern, the paladin and the elf noticed nothing, for it had all transpired behind their backs, and out of hearing range.
 

Omega-Seven

New Member
Apr 17, 2000
1,031
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none.yet
Erp...I'll post with new character in a moment =P i got carried away with this

S'mon Traska is a fair sized city; indeed, it is an important hub for many of the outlying townships. It was founded some 500 years ago beside a river, which has proved to become a boon, transforming a small struggling settlement to an important trade center in a scant few decades. In later years, after the War of the Twin Magi culminated in the creation of the vast wasteland known as the Desert of Doom and Despair, S'mon Traska became an important base of action for explorers and treasure hunters seeking the ruins of townships and keeps buried under the sand.

As with any city of this size and importance, different sectors arose. The newest sector, on the eastern side of town, took in the treasures and gold of weary adventurers returning from the harsh sands - or sold cheap wares to those venturing out. It is now home to decadence and arrogance, expensive stores all purporting to sell the very best equipment and even more expensive inns in which young nobles can show off their newly bought toys and pursue various dalliances.

In contrast, Old Town situated on either side of the river is the seamier side of nature. The docks on both sides of the river are run by thieves and assassins...and worse. Stolen goods, illegal goods, slaves...all can be bought by those who can pay the price. Those who cannot often find that they become the goods sold to the next customer. Long 'abandoned' to the lower classes, Old Town still shows it's root as an important commercial center in the bridges that span the river. Built to allow the city to expand and connect both banks of the river, they became problematic for the larger boats travelling along the river. City mages were commissioned to find a solution, and so they did: by some magic no longer well understood (at least, by most magi), the bridges become intangible when large ships approach. A warning siren is sounded when a bridge is about to become immaterial; a popular but dangerous dare amongst children is to see who will stay the longest at the middle of the bridge...and whether or not the 'bravest' can reach the edge of the bridge before falling in the river. The east and west banks of the river are divded between largely human and humanoid population and non human populations respectively.

The western and southern sectors are collectively referred to as 'tent town' by the locals. These slums are the absolute poorest of the poor - destitute adventurers who lost everything in the desert: their gold, their equipment, their comrades. Almost every structure in Tent Town is a makeshift tent or shack of some sort. The slum lords who command bands of warriors often are in possession of a cabin, or some similar sort as a symbol of their 'wealth'. However, there is little for them to gain in terrorizing their neighbors. Typically they thieve and waylay persons in the westbank

The northern side is at least as large East Side, and is considered by most to be the city proper. None too clean, it contains many reasonable bars and inns, armorers, fletchers, black smiths, stables, and so forth. More so than East side, Northaven (as north side is often called) attracts thieves and pick pockets seeking to relieve adventurers of their burdernsome gold. Many a drunken sot has awoken in an alley completely bereft of belongings... some never wake.

West bank is an oddity. The majority of it's inhabitants are nonhuman beings, such as classical orcs, ogres, Centaurs, gully dwarves (admittedly humanoid, but they smell really bad, and no one really likes them anyway), Tantaloids, Oshufi, and so forth. Humans, especially those of prettier races such as Elves and Half-elves and Werewolfen (whom are hated because they can hide themselves as humans), are looked down upon and can typically find prices raised... even then, however, prices are cheaper than elsewhere. This area is dangerous, as many of these beings possess supernatural powers or strengths...as well there are also mutants, those who descended from magical experiments of mages long past (or even recent!) or from parents who were twisted by the rampant magical energies of the War; these mutants can appear as 'normals' of any species, or can have a more 'exotic' appearance. All have unpredictable powers.
 
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